I need to create a Google Spreadsheet and share it with a set of computers connected to each other via a local network. Those computers are not connected to the internet. Is it possible to share a Google Spreadsheet between computers with no internet?

EDIT: I need a solution in which all the participants can edit the document simultaneously. Therefore I cannot just share a Microsoft Excel file. A magical format which allows simultaneous access and has the spreadsheet features will solve my problem.

2 Answers
2

As you're aware, Google won't do the job without an internet connection. Even the offline version of Google Docs only allows local changes, not synced ones.

Perhaps surprisingly, Microsoft's Excel does allow simultaneous editing by a number of people on a local network. It isn't real time like Google, but it does update everytime users save. There are simple instructions on this blog post, the relevant part being:

The workbook needs to be in a network share and it must have a
write privilege to all your team members.

Open your workbook.

Navigate to Review on the toolbar

Click on the Share Workbook icon

Place a check on the check box that says Allow more than one user at the same time.

Click on OK

Now, save your workbook on a network share

While far from perfect, if everyone is encouraged to save regularly it might be an alternative for your situation.

Future readers will probably benefit from your answer. However, in my case several people have to do simultaneous editing and see all the updates as they're made in real time.
–
snakileAug 3 '12 at 12:57

@snakile - there doesn't look like there are many (any) spreadsheets that work offline. If you can live with just a text editor there are a number of options listed here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…
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John CAug 4 '12 at 3:21

" Is it possible to share a Google Spreadsheet between computers with no internet"

I'm no networking expert, but logic tells me that the only way to do this is to finding a way to share the internet connection with all the five computers (ie giving them internet access.

The other option would be to convert the document to another (ie non google spreadsheet) format that allows simultaneous access. Sorry, but I don't know any format that does that (and I doubt you'll find one).